Alexander Mikhalskiy is a Russian businessman, the self-made billionaire Co-founder and major shareholder of Sportmaster Group, the dominant sports and fashion retailer in Russia and the CIS. His career is rooted in technology, strategic retail, and entrepreneurial audacity.

Mikhalskiy holds a Master of Science in Engineering from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), reflecting a strong analytical foundation he applied to the retail sector. In the early 1990s, he and his partners began with a distribution business, later pivoting to specialized sporting goods retail.

• Sportmaster Group (Co-founder & Shareholder): The foundational source of his wealth, the largest multi-brand and omnichannel sports and outdoor retailer in Eastern Europe.
• Academic Background: Holds an M.S. in Engineering from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT).
• Partnership Model: He co-founded the business in 1992 alongside brothers Nikolay and Vladimir Fartushnyak and Dmitry Doikhen.
• Investment Strategy: His philosophy emphasizes scale, omnichannel integration, and vertical management of the retail supply chain.

Alexander Mikhalskiy's strategic leadership was crucial in transforming the original venture, Ilion, into the Sportmaster chain, a market leader. The company began in 1992 by importing and distributing German sports equipment (Kettler simulators). Mikhalskiy was instrumental in the strategic pivot in 1997 to the multi-brand, large-format retail model under the Sportmaster brand name.

His structural contribution is immense: pioneering the modern, scaled sports retail ecosystem in Russia and neighboring countries. The group expanded aggressively, developing private labels (like O'STIN casual clothing), mastering logistics, and ultimately transitioning to a unified omnichannel business model. The company is now recognized as one of the largest sporting goods retailers in Europe.

Alexander Mikhalskiy's social impact stems from Sportmaster's role as a massive regional employer (estimated at over 10,000 employees) and a structural driver in promoting healthy, active lifestyles across its operational territories. The company’s mission is explicitly tied to encouraging sports and outdoor activities.

His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives, often focused on youth sports development and regional welfare where the retail chain maintains a large footprint.